Spine-exerciser



B. MACFADDEN.

'SPINE EXERCISER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 22. 1919.

1,336,910. Patented pr-13,1920.

; fiernarr f/ac addere,

- by my flay UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BERNARRLMACFADDEN, OF NEW.YOR-K, N. Y..

sPINE-ExERcisEa.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 13; 1920.

Application filed March 22, 1919. Serial No. 284,381.

which may be economically manufactured,

which may be easily used without having it permanently secured to anything, and which may be suitably adjusted to different persons. .It is understood that many. changes may be made in its structure without departing from the scope of the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the improved devices worn and used by a .person lying 011,311 ordinary bed;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the details of construction of the head piece of the exercising devices;and

Fig. '3 is a perspective view of the foot piece.

The invention comprises ahead piece 5, adapted to be worn upon the head'of the user or patient, and a foot strap6, adapted to receive the ankles of the patient lying on an ordinary bed 7 as shown in Fig. l. The head piece comprises a neck band 8 provided at the front with a buckle 9, for adjusting the strap about the head of the user, in which case a towel 10 may be placed around the neck for comfort. The head piece also comprises a pair of crossed straps 11, stitched together at the intersection by stitches 12, and having their rear ends 13 stitched to either side of the rearmost por tion of the neck band. The front ends of the crossed straps are folded and stitched upon themselves as at 15, thereby forming loops 16, loosely receiving the front end portions of the neck band to permit said front ends of the straps to be adjusted on the neck band thereby to make the head piece more comfortable to the user. The exercising rope 18 is passed under said intersection and may then be passed around a head post 20 of the bed, and then held in the hands of the user.

The foot piece 6 comprises a single wide flexible strap 22 formed with a tying end23 adapted to be tied, for instance, to one of the foot posts 24.- of the bed. The other end of the foot strap is folded and stitched to itself, thereby forming a loop 25, just large enough to pass the feet through comfortably, and small enough when thus worn to bind itself about the ankle and prevent its passing off over the feet.

The spine exercising device may be used as follows:

After the device has been put on and adusted upon the user and the foot piece secured to one of the foot posts of the bed,

and the exercising ropes passed over the diagonally opposite head post, the user merely grasps the exercising ropes in his hands, as shown in Fig. 1, and drawing them down, thereby stretches himself with such force and duration as seems best, and as many times as he desires.

Many ways of using the device will suggest themselves. For instance, the head piece only may be worn, with the exercising ropes applied while the user is standing near an open door, the exercising ropes being passed over the top of the door, pulley fashion, so that the user by grasping the ropes in his hands may draw himself upwardly, thereby stretching and exercising the spine.

Obviously the ropes may be passed over any convenient device and the foot strap fastened to any suitable object other than the ones mentioned.

Many advantages result from the use of this device as will be apparent.

I claim:

1. In a spine exerciser, a head piece comprising a neck band; crossed head straps each having one end secured to the neck band, and its other end loosely secured to portions of the neck band to permit them to be adjusted.

2. In a spine exerciser, a head piece coniprising a neck band; and a pair of head straps crossed and stitched together at the intersection and each having its rear end secured to the rear portion of said neck band, and its front end folded and formed into a loop loosely receiving front portions of the neck band to permit said front ends to be adjusted on the neck band.

3. In a spine exerciser, a head piece com prising a neck band provided with a front buckle for adjusting the band to the neck; and a pair of head straps crossed and stitched together at the intersection and each havingits rear end stitched to the rear portion of said neck band, and its front end folded upon and stitched to itself and thus forming a loop loosely receiving the front end portions of the neck band to permit said front ends to be adjusted on the neck band.

44. In a spine exerciser, a head piece comprising a neck band provided with a front buckle for adjusting the band to the neck, and a pair of head straps crossed and stitched together at the intersection and each having its rear end stitched to the rear portion of said neck band, and its front end folded upon and stitched to itself and thus forming a loop loosely receiving the front end portions of the neck band to permit said front ends to be adjusted 011 the neck band; and an exercising rope passed under said intersection and adapted to be passed over an object pulley-fashion and grasped by the hands.

5. In a spine exerciser, a head piece comprising a neck band provided with a front buckle for adjusting the band to the neck, and a pair of head straps crossed and stitched togetherat the intersection and each having its rear end stitched to the rear portion of said neck band, and its front end folded upon and stitched to itself and thus forming a loop loosely receiving the front end portions of the neck band to permit said front ends to be adjusted on the neck band; and an exercising rope passed under said intersection and adapted to be passed over an object pulley-fashion and grasped by the hands. o

6. In a spine exerciser, the combination of a Wide flexible foot strap formed with a tying extension and a single loop through the ankles may be received and held; a head piece comprising a neck band provided with a front bucklefor adjusting the band to the neck, and a pair of head straps crossed and stitched together at the intersection and each having its rear end stitched to the rear portion of said neck band, and its front end folded upon and stitched to itself and. thus forming a loop loosely receiving-the front end portions of the neck band to permit said front ends to be adjusted on the neck band; and an exercising rope passed under said intersection and adapted to be passed over 'an object pulley-fashion and grasped by the hands.

7 7. In combination with a bed on which a person may lie, a spine exerciser comprising a wide flexible foot strap formed with a tying extension adapted to be tied to a foot post of the bed, and a "single loop through which the persons feet may be thrust and in which the ankles may be received and held;

'a head piece having a neck band provided with a front buckle for adjusting the band to the neck, and a pair of head straps crossed at the top of the head and stitched together at the intersection and each having its rear end stitched to the rear portion of said neck band, and its front end folded upon and stitched to itself and thus forming a loop loosely receiving the front end portions of the neck band to permit said front ends to be adjusted on the neck band; and an exercising rope passed under said intersection and passed pulley-fashion over one of the head posts diagonally opposite to said foot post and rasped by the hands; Y

BERNKR 'MAGFADDEN.

Witnesses .B. E. Dawson,

E. R. LEESER. 

